https://twitter.com/Brett_McMurphy/statu...67426?s=20

https://www.southland.org/news/2021/10/1...iance.aspx

Makes sense

Big South and MEAC should do the same.

Kinda thought about it and considering WAC and ASUN did this already for this season, this move shouldn't be terribly surprising

It's a little different than the ASUN and WAC, which actually share a single bid for one year while both await new members to arrive next year.

In this case both conferences still have the minimum 6 football schools, which while enough to have their own automatic berth in the FCS playoffs. But both are faced with only 5 conference games instead of 7 or 8 that other conferences have. By working together they can add 2 games to every school (one home, one road) that will help them fill the schedule, especially late season, without any buying opponents are complicated contracts as they would be league scheduled.

Makes a lot of sense.

If WIU is ever added to the OVC, both conferences will have 7 members and each school can offer up a home and an away game each year. That would give all schools a defacto 8 games/year

(10-11-2021 01:47 PM)solohawks Wrote:  If WIU is ever added to the OVC, both conferences will have 7 members and each school can offer up a home and an away game each year. That would give all schools a defacto 8 games/year

Next year, Commerce does not count as a Division I counter (first year of transition) so the Southland has to be careful with navigating that as it relates to the "unofficially official" seven Division I wins that has usually been looked upon as being necessary for an NCAA playoff at-large bid.

Would presume Commerce is not part of this arrangement for the opening year unless the OVC is adding a NCAA Division II program in the coming months and can do an in-season home-and-home with Commerce, which would make a lot of sense.

Another issue would be if the SLC or OVC lost any more of their full-standing Division I members in the coming months to another league; could lead to a more AQ7 type situation as we saw with WAC/ASUN this year.

(10-11-2021 01:47 PM)solohawks Wrote:  If WIU is ever added to the OVC, both conferences will have 7 members and each school can offer up a home and an away game each year. That would give all schools a defacto 8 games/year

This should make it a little more likely, as it gives the OVC a brace to break the free fall. A guarantee of FCS playoff access for members joining.